First Olympic Gold Goes to American Girl with a Gun– And Internet’s Quick to Bring on the Hate

When 19-year-old Ginny Thrasher first picked up a rifle five years ago, she just wanted to go deer hunting with her grandfather. But on Saturday, Thrasher shot her way to the first American gold medal in the Rio de Janeiro Olympic games.

She won her gold in the women’s 10 meter air-rifle finals, one of the most precise sports in the Olympic games, upsetting the top-ranked Andrea Arsovic (Serbia) and defending champion Siling Yi (China). In the final, she knocked out 2-time gold medalist (2004, 2008) Li Du (China).

American Ginny Thrasher wins the first gold medal of the Olympics in women's 10m air rifle. Upset, neither AP nor SI picked her to medal.

Thrasher, whose final score of 208.0 set an Olympic record, spoke out about how the gun-control debate has put a strain on her sport: “Some of the controversial gun laws in America are just distracting from our sport, which is very different. I try to focus on the competition.”